The present invention relates to portable toilets of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,018, patented Mar. 16, 1971 in the names of Sargent et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,430, patented Apr. 13, 1976 in the names of Miller et al., and is particularly directed to improvements in the pump apparatus of toilets of this character.
It is conventional practice when flushing portable toilets of this type to utilize manually actuatable pumps of the bellows type for pumping water from the water storage tank of the toilet into the toilet bowl. Arrangements that utilize this type of pump are disclosed in the above-cited patents. Pumps of the bellows type are low cost items which allow water conservation to be observed, and have proved to be satisfactory for the needs of the industry. However, the substantial growth in popularity of these toilets has created a demand in some instances for an improved pump apparatus that can be operated more easily than heretofore, while still providing the other virtues of a portable toilet of the foregoing character that are desired. For example, it has been found in some instances that handicapped or elderly persons may experience difficulty in operating a bellows pump so that there is a need for an improved pump apparatus that can be actuated more easily.